Hip H’opera artist KF Jacques one of many local performers on JPF Community Stage at Jeff Fest
The Jefferson Park Forward Community Stage at Jeff Fest may offer the most interesting and unique sounds of the three-day festival, especially when K.F. Jacques performs his fusion of opera and hip hop.
“It’s electronic music with opera vocals” is how in an 2021 interview K.F. Jacques explained his musical blend. “I was producing hip hop (and) started fusing the two.”
He will perform at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5. Admission to the festival is $7-$10.
As an opera singer, he had performed in cities in the United States and Europe, but he was looking to take his career as an artist in a different direction and got a boost when he performed on the Rosie O’Donnell Show. “I was her chauffeur when she was filming in Chicago,” he said, and O’Donnell became intrigued when he explained to her his hip hop-opera sound, inviting him to perform in 2012.
K.F. Jacques described the music he writes as “mostly love songs,” including his “With You,” which has a “apocalyptic love” theme. It was written during the pandemic, and the title reflects the uncertainty and worries faced during that period.
Performing Friday on the Community Stage are The Prime, a band with a fresh take on classic rock, at 5:15 p.m., Surgery Cult, self-described as a “Chicago four piece blowing eardrums with soothing sounds,” at 7 p.m., and Shannon Candy and Friends at 9 p.m.
Taking the Community Stage on Saturday are Carey Anne Farrell at 3 p.m., singer/songwriter Julia Merchant at 5 p.m., Vang (“Bad Girl” single) at 6:45 p.m., Enderly at 7:30 p.m. and Hip H’Opera artist K.F. Jacques at 9 p.m.
On Sunday is the Jefferson Park-based Chicago Music and Acting Academy at 2 p.m., Chicago Ballet Center at 3:30 p.m., Filament Theater at 5:30 p.m. and Jefferson Park Songwriters Group at 7 p.m.
Festival hours will be will 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7 on Friday and Sunday and $10 on Saturday.
